Thursday, May 15, 2008

In the blog, “A Monastic Garden,” I wrote about how it is hard to relax in my own backyard garden — because I see what needs to be done rather than peace the garden was intended to create.

For me, the best solution is to avoid places (for the Divine Office) that are most often places of work (like our garden) and to have a place in the house that is dedicated primarily as a place of prayer — in my case it’s a comfortable brown chair and footstool in a corner of my home office. Some oblates have a separate prayer or reading room.

For me, lighting a candle helps move me from being in work to being present in prayer. If you have a practice that helps you move into a time of prayer or that helps your prayer time — please add it as a comment -- Thank you. If it includes eating ice cream, I just might try it! :)

I have a holy water font at the entrance of my prayer room that I bless myself with as I enter. I also light a candle, and bow to a picture of Christ that I have hanging above the little altar. I stand facing the picture and the altar when praying the Invitatory Psalm each morning at the beginning of the Divine Office. I've found that these things help me to set the tone for my prayer.

Your suggestions along with Gregorian chant gives me a good pattern to follow. We just recently designated one of our rooms mostly as a prayer room — not exclusively — but nearly so. We have the candle so we have a few more items to add. I know your prayer room is a holy place.

July 11 What's New on this Oblate Blog and the companion Oblate Spring web site:

Welcome!

You are welcomed here as Christ

Hi, I'm John, blogging about my life as a Benedictine oblate of a Catholic monastery. I write about the oblate manner of living and Benedictine spirituality.

Oblates live in the world and are regular people just like you. I'll share my lifestyle that follows monastic practices from the earliest desert fathers and the ancient Rule of St. Benedict. There are about 25,000 Benedictine oblates in the world. More about this blog.

This oblate blog is the companion to my Oblate Spring website which describes oblate spirituality and provides links, summaries, and lists of oblate resources.

This Blogger

Add This

St. Blogs

Catholic Search Engine

Blogged Catholic Blogs List:

Search for blogs at:

Info: JS-Kit comments are used on the Oblate blog.

St. Cecilia

Saint Cecilia is one of the four great virgin martyrs. The others are St. Agnes, St. Agatha and St. Lucy. Even in death St. Cecilia witnesses to truth. Her right hand shows three persons, the Trinity. Her left hand, one God.